Nearly 150 bodies were recovered and 20 were rescued following search and rescue operations in Inwa and Tada-U towns of Tada-U Township, Mandalay Region, on Monday. Tada-U is located 39 miles (62 km) south of Mandalay and 10 miles (16 km) south of Sagaing, the epicenter of the earthquake.
“Around 420 buildings collapsed [in the two towns],” a resident told DVB on condition of anonymity. The lack of heavy machinery hampered rescue efforts, making it difficult to clear the debris and search for more survivors.
Tada-U was among the hardest-hit areas with nearly all religious buildings reduced to rubble, including the historic Lay Htat Gyi Temple in Inwa, according to residents.
In Kyaukse town, at least 100 bodies were recovered and 180 survivors were rescued by Monday. Two-thirds of the town has been destroyed, according to residents. Kyaukse is located 27 miles (43 km) south of Mandalay and 22 miles (35 km) south of Tada-U.
“The rescue operation is complete. Only cleanup remains, which is difficult due to the lack of heavy machinery,” an aid worker in Kyaukse told DVB on condition of anonymity.
“Renting heavy machinery to clear the debris costs around 20 million MMK ($4,500 USD). The residents have already lost their homes. They can’t afford this,” he added.
The Dotehtawady Bridge on the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway collapsed. Sections of the road near the 362-mile mark were damaged and have caused road closures, regime media reported.
Ava Bridge, which connects Mandalay and Sagaing regions collapsed during the earthquake on March 28.
The residents of all three towns told DVB that there are concerns over a lack of clean drinking water.
DVB data states that the death toll stands at 3,756 with 2,414 bodies recovered in Mandalay by Tuesday—over 64.3 percent of the national total killed. At least 4,575 people were injured and 705 others are still missing.
The regime updated its number killed to 2,719 with 4,521 injured and 441 still missing by April 1. A state of emergency was declared after the earthquake in the six hardest hit regions, including Mandalay, Sagaing, Magway, Bago, Naypyidaw, and Shan State.
